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lags2much's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
We finally get a MC that’s a POC and the author can’t find a way to describe him without comparing him to food. I think she called his hair unruly or untidy in the first or second chapter. Jesus this doesn’t age well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Car accident, Grief, Addiction, and Drug abuse
jensreading's review against another edition
5.0
Ok so holy crap this is a hawt book to read!!! This one is filled with pain, heartache, love, loss, family and lost love from the very beginning and doesn't stop!! yet like every book in the Assassin series it is all about the family ..... the hockey family and those important to them.
Mekena hasn't had a great last few years, however it has allowed her to pursue her dream job. She has become a very successful photographer working with her aunt down in Florida. However the one thing she never anticipated was having to see and spend time with her ex, the first man she really loved, the one who broke her heart .... or did he??
Markus had everything he ever wanted back in the day ..... a successful looking hockey career, a college degree, and a loving woman on his arm. However after one party everything goes down the drain. Little does he know that things are about to finally turn around for him, at least in his hockey career. The question becomes if he could ever have the dream of her listening and believing him come true.
These two have enough history, pain, heartache, and yet deep down love for a whole gang of people. The question becomes can they work together, be honest with each other, and try to figure out what happened and if they can forgive and move forward.
Mekena hasn't had a great last few years, however it has allowed her to pursue her dream job. She has become a very successful photographer working with her aunt down in Florida. However the one thing she never anticipated was having to see and spend time with her ex, the first man she really loved, the one who broke her heart .... or did he??
Markus had everything he ever wanted back in the day ..... a successful looking hockey career, a college degree, and a loving woman on his arm. However after one party everything goes down the drain. Little does he know that things are about to finally turn around for him, at least in his hockey career. The question becomes if he could ever have the dream of her listening and believing him come true.
These two have enough history, pain, heartache, and yet deep down love for a whole gang of people. The question becomes can they work together, be honest with each other, and try to figure out what happened and if they can forgive and move forward.
trudyd's review against another edition
4.0
Gutted, much of this story left me gutted. It was unexpected. It was shocking. Boy did my heart have work for the HEA. Making the sadness tolerable--The Assassins and their wives. Didn't realize how much I had missed Elli. The Assassins are screaming for a re-read.
8/10/2019 Listened to the audiobook. There is a new narrator and it took awhile to get into her voice and inability to create different voices. . I didn't like her nearly as much as Lucy Malone. I even checked the next book to see who would be narrating it--not Lucy.
8/10/2019 Listened to the audiobook. There is a new narrator and it took awhile to get into her voice and inability to create different voices. . I didn't like her nearly as much as Lucy Malone. I even checked the next book to see who would be narrating it--not Lucy.
geo_ix's review against another edition
4.0
An ARC was provided for an honest review.
First, I would have read this ARC copy or not, because I LOVE Toni Aleo books and Assassin's is one of my most loved series (definitely top in sports romance and hockey) and I was just SUPER lucky that my T.A signed on with the people who run my ARC reading group and that I ended up with a copy. I just about DIED when I saw the signup sheet, and then hyperventilated a bit when I got approved and it was on my kindle. Second, this cover is fucking GORGEOUS. My favourite colour and who doesn't love cake?
Now this book DOES have a bit of triggering content involving sexual consent which is the only spoilery kind of thing I'm going to say just because I don't want anyone going into it and being triggered. I also think you MUST read the Bellevue Bullies series (the NA spin off of the Assassins) to get the full effect of this book. Probably should have read the babies novella before this too because I had a 'WHAT? moment' but it was over one line so I didn't mind.
It DOES feel SUPER long again like the last few books have felt, and I did find the really long declarations of love and stuff to be a bit tedious because every moment someone was like 'oh you're my world and nothing can come between us don't you see!' and it just made it feel a little less special because there wasn't a build up like you'd get if there were less? That doesn't make sense but whatever.
I also think you MIGHT not like it if you don't like insecure heroes or heroines because these two are most definitely that, they have their reasons but it is who they are, and it does at times get a little highschooly or I guess immature at times just in the way they think or talk. Which also makes sense because the heroine is actually young, like twenty or something and he's twenty five or something? Around those ages anyway and there's some too cocky attitudes, a lot of jealousy issues and it's not the characters that I personally love, but even with me not liking them I was so emotionally attached even when I didn't wanna be and I cried and my heart ached and I really just want JoJo's story because he's interested me since he was introduced.
First, I would have read this ARC copy or not, because I LOVE Toni Aleo books and Assassin's is one of my most loved series (definitely top in sports romance and hockey) and I was just SUPER lucky that my T.A signed on with the people who run my ARC reading group and that I ended up with a copy. I just about DIED when I saw the signup sheet, and then hyperventilated a bit when I got approved and it was on my kindle. Second, this cover is fucking GORGEOUS. My favourite colour and who doesn't love cake?
Now this book DOES have a bit of triggering content involving sexual consent which is the only spoilery kind of thing I'm going to say just because I don't want anyone going into it and being triggered. I also think you MUST read the Bellevue Bullies series (the NA spin off of the Assassins) to get the full effect of this book. Probably should have read the babies novella before this too because I had a 'WHAT? moment' but it was over one line so I didn't mind.
It DOES feel SUPER long again like the last few books have felt, and I did find the really long declarations of love and stuff to be a bit tedious because every moment someone was like 'oh you're my world and nothing can come between us don't you see!' and it just made it feel a little less special because there wasn't a build up like you'd get if there were less? That doesn't make sense but whatever.
I also think you MIGHT not like it if you don't like insecure heroes or heroines because these two are most definitely that, they have their reasons but it is who they are, and it does at times get a little highschooly or I guess immature at times just in the way they think or talk. Which also makes sense because the heroine is actually young, like twenty or something and he's twenty five or something? Around those ages anyway and there's some too cocky attitudes, a lot of jealousy issues and it's not the characters that I personally love, but even with me not liking them I was so emotionally attached even when I didn't wanna be and I cried and my heart ached and I really just want JoJo's story because he's interested me since he was introduced.
smbmar's review
5.0
Wow! I am completely blown away by this book! It was full of deception, overcoming adversity, and grief to find love. Although this felt a little different then the rest of the assassin books, but was still a fabulous read. Fans of this series will love this book.
I requested and received an advanced copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
I requested and received an advanced copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
whatcha_listening_to's review against another edition
2.0
I don’t want to sound like a broken record. But this series and all the “bad” situation is finally getting to me. I started re-listening because I wanted to catch up on the new books I hadn’t listened to yet.
The stories itself don’t need all the extra drama take this book for example it could have been a beautiful second chance love between Markus and Mekena but the author added all this extra bad stuff. Now if we had just the one thing that tore them apart ok. But then it escalated to the point it was unbelievable, and I almost stopped listening.
I am going to give this series one more chance before I see if maybe my own personal tastes have just changed.
I do love that the narrator changed!!! Jillian Macie did a much better job and sounded like the age of these characters. SO happy about that.
The stories itself don’t need all the extra drama take this book for example it could have been a beautiful second chance love between Markus and Mekena but the author added all this extra bad stuff. Now if we had just the one thing that tore them apart ok. But then it escalated to the point it was unbelievable, and I almost stopped listening.
I am going to give this series one more chance before I see if maybe my own personal tastes have just changed.
I do love that the narrator changed!!! Jillian Macie did a much better job and sounded like the age of these characters. SO happy about that.
katealfrey's review against another edition
3.0
I have no idea why this one didn't resonate with me, but it just didn't. Possibly because Mekena read very young to me.
Spoiler
I did like that she dealt with men as victims of sexual assault, though, as that is often something that is only written as a female trauma.paddlefoot55's review
ARC received for an honest review
You never know what you are going to get when you start reading a Toni Aleo book - well, you know you are going to get a world of hockey hotties, but other than that, it is like Forrest Gump said, it is like a box of chocolates.
I loved getting back in the Assassins world and getting to see more of the lovelies we have come to adore in the previous books. But Mekena and Markus' story just felt a little bit extra special to me.
Not sure what it was, maybe it was that I haven't read one an Aleo book for a while, or whether it was how emotional this book made me feel, but it is definitely one of my favourite Assassin books.
Markus and Mekena have history, and that history is not all good. Ms Aleo touches on some difficult - some might say taboo - subject in Face-Off At The Altar, and she does it so, so well. My goodness the emotions she evoked in my whilst reading. I know at times I had to read parts at least two times as I was trying to read through tears.
It has been a long, long time since I have felt such hatred for a character. I don't say the who, what, when or where, but you will understand the why when you have read it. I had such a visceral reaction to this person.
I adored that through it all, our lovelies fought. Fought between their heads and their hearts, fought each other, but more importantly fought for each other.
There were plenty of laughs and smiles and good times as well as the mad, sad and bad times.
I completely enjoyed my time back in Assassins-Land, and can't wait to see what Ms Aleo brings us next.
You never know what you are going to get when you start reading a Toni Aleo book - well, you know you are going to get a world of hockey hotties, but other than that, it is like Forrest Gump said, it is like a box of chocolates.
I loved getting back in the Assassins world and getting to see more of the lovelies we have come to adore in the previous books. But Mekena and Markus' story just felt a little bit extra special to me.
Not sure what it was, maybe it was that I haven't read one an Aleo book for a while, or whether it was how emotional this book made me feel, but it is definitely one of my favourite Assassin books.
Markus and Mekena have history, and that history is not all good. Ms Aleo touches on some difficult - some might say taboo - subject in Face-Off At The Altar, and she does it so, so well. My goodness the emotions she evoked in my whilst reading. I know at times I had to read parts at least two times as I was trying to read through tears.
It has been a long, long time since I have felt such hatred for a character. I don't say the who, what, when or where, but you will understand the why when you have read it. I had such a visceral reaction to this person.
I adored that through it all, our lovelies fought. Fought between their heads and their hearts, fought each other, but more importantly fought for each other.
There were plenty of laughs and smiles and good times as well as the mad, sad and bad times.
I completely enjoyed my time back in Assassins-Land, and can't wait to see what Ms Aleo brings us next.
abbielairson117's review
5.0
That is the most realistic couple I have ever read about and I LOVED IT